The Pontipee Pranksters
by Taoroo
Summary: It is just after Mr and Mrs Pontipee pass away and the brothers need to adjust into their new roles... whilst also dealing quite uniquely with an unwanted guest! CP obvs!
1. Chapter 1

_Set just after the passing of Mr & Mrs Pontipee. Ages (approximate): Adam (21), Ben (19), Caleb (16), Daniel & Ephraim (13) Frankincense (9), and Gideon (7)._

* * *

The sun was rising over a quiet mountainside, bathing a farmstead in a warm glow. The chickens groused sleepily in their pen, waiting to be let out into the crisp spring air, and the cows began to grumble for their morning's milking.

In the middle of the yard a horse had been harnessed to a small carriage, a rickety build with a black canopy and hard leather seats. A small boy stood beside it, holding the reigns as both he and the horse blew out steamy breaths.

A door slammed inside the farmhouse and the sound of raised voices could be heard. The boy pressed his lips together at a particularly shrill comment but stood to attention as the front door banged open, letting out a short, stout lady, followed closely by a young man with blond curly hair and a beard to match.

'Please Aunt Ez,' the man said, even as he helped the woman to carry the last of her many belongings to the carriage. 'I know they can be a mite rambunctious-'

'Rambunctious!?' the woman demanded shrilly. Her greying hair was drawn back into a severe knot underneath a prim black hat which, at one point in time, had sported a rather magnificent ostrich feather, only a few inches of which were left upon it. 'Adam Pontipee those brothers of yours are plain wicked! This is the last straw and I mean it!'

'They will apologise,' Adam said, his jaw setting tightly at the woman's comment for he loved his brothers more than anything in the world and definitely more than his overbearingly proper Aunt Esmeralda. 'It was just a practical joke-'

'I have had quite enough of those... those ruffians and their _practical jokes_,' Aunt Esmeralda snapped. 'Thank you, Gideon,' she said to the boy holding the reigns, snatching them from the young boy and putting a foot upon the step. Her shrill denouncement of the Pontipee brothers did not stop as Adam came forward, helping the woman struggle into the driving seat.

'Lord help me, Adam Pontipee,' the woman said, bustling herself into a comfortable position on the chair – a seemingly impossible task on such a hard surface - 'I came here to help you after the accident of your dear mother and my poor brother; may they rest in peace. But I can stand this treatment no longer!'

'I'm sorry, Aunt Ez,' Adam said but blanched at the stern look he received. Gideon had scurried up to his brother's side and now huddled in, half hidden behind Adam's leg as he stared up at the argument with wide eyes. From the doorway five other faces could be seen, each trying to hide the expression of glee behind solemn faces.

'You listen well, Adam Pontipee,' Aunt Esmeralda said, gathering her reigns and then wagging a finger at him and the rest of his brood. 'Carry on down this road and you will raise nothing but a pack of wildmen. I dread what your poor mother would think if she could see you now. You shape up, all of you, or no woman will touch you, nor decent gentleman have anything to do with you, mark my words!'

With that their Aunt cracked her reigns and the carriage shot forwards, causing her to lurch back a bit and catch her hat. As the horse trotted off down the mountain road five boys emerged from the house to see it off. When she was far enough away but definitely not out of earshot, their poker faces split into triumphant grins and they broke into a cheer.

'Enough!' Adam barked, and they stopped, their expressions changing from happy to wary as they saw their eldest brother's knitted brows and anger-flushed cheeks.

'Aw Adam you wanted that ol' witch gone as much as we did,' Ephraim said as Caleb and Daniel nodded earnestly.

'Yeah, Adam,' Ben said, 'and it sure was funny hearing Aunt E' scream like that, it sure taught her a lesson!' The rest of the Pontipee boys laughed but Adam's face remained stony.

'You think so?' he asked in a dangerous voice which sobered them all. 'She may have been rude and miserable but she _was_ trying to help us. As far as I see it that poor woman got a heck of a lot more than she deserved. Why I believe all of you had a turn at tormenting her, saving Gideon of course.'

Even as he said it there was a high pitched shriek from the departing carriage. As the rest of the boys stared over in surprise Gideon looked up with wide blue eyes under thick blonde lashes at his oldest brother. 'Frogs,' he said quietly, 'in her handbag.'

The five younger Pontipee's broke down into fits of giggles as Adam dashed off toward the carriage.

~7B47B~

'_Boys! You line up here right now!_' Adam Pontipee's voice bellowed through the farmhouse, making the windows rattle and dust fall from the ceiling beams. The eldest brother of the Pontipee clan was angry. Worse than angry. Furious in fact. From their respective hiding places the younger brothers glanced at one another with worried eyes or scrunched up their faces in distaste. But there was nowhere to run and none had eaten breakfast yet, and now their big brother stood in between them and the kitchen. Furious.

Slowly they slid from their hiding holes, slinking forwards reluctantly and avoiding the eldest's glaring gaze. Caleb came last, leading Gideon by the hand. The littlest Pontipee kept his head lowered and his lips pressed together; of all of them he knew what his big brother was capable of and he was most likely to expect for his part in the morning's work; both Adam and their late father had taken him to task at one time or another for his misdeeds.

The others however were much more confident in their bearing; sure, Adam was mighty peeved and they'd probably have to stand through a lecture – Adam had always been good at the stern glare and imposing word approach, even before fate had turned him into the family patriarch – but there was little else to worry them. Even Frank, only a few years older than Gideon, felt assured in his grand old age of nine that he was too old for any sort of _physical_ response from his older brother.

They were all about to be sorely disappointed.

Adam crossed his arms over his barrel chest, chin raised high but brow furrowed in dark disapproval. He took a deep suck of air into his lungs and then began.

He started with his shock at their manners toward their aunt when she had first arrived barely a week ago, announcing to them all the she would take up the responsibility of their care now that her son and his wife were departed. That had raised the boys' danders immediately. It had taken less than that afternoon for their voices to lose their civil tones and the forced smiles to become sullen sulks. Then the pranking had begun. Nothing too big at first, just little things like over salting her porridge and adding an extra scratchy lining to her bed covers – she had taken their parent's room of course, the only other one than their dorm-style habitation; another black mark against her so soon after their loss. Then some pesky wind had mysteriously gathered up her laundry from the drying line, depositing it in the pig pen almost all the way across the farm. It had taken Adam quite some effort to calm his aunt when she discovered her prize hat on the head of the resident billy-goat, the feather all but completely chewed off. The whole thing had culminated that past evening when the lady retired to bed, only to wake to a raccoon scampering next to her. Screaming enough to wake her late brother, Aunt Ez had leapt from the bed, flinging open the door to their late-parents' room. The resulting crash, splash and roar of dismay that followed had set the boys listening in their room into gales of laughter, even as Adam sprang up to see what was amiss. And this time there was no excusing what was happening as a freak accident, all else could have been forgiven as unfortunate happenstance but the wind did not rest pails of ice-water atop bedroom doors. Adam still marvelled that his brothers had managed the feat – whomever it may have been – climbing into the room, setting the trap, leaving the raccoon (which would have had to be caught in the first place!), and getting back into his own bed without being discovered. Adam secretly admired his brothers' their courage and imagination, but outwardly he had to disapprove. He was the eldest now and he had to set an example for his younger siblings to follow.

So after the list of transgressions, which had the boys smirking and pressing their lips together to try and hide their laughter, Adam said:

'And just think what ma would have thought.'

That wiped the smiles from their eyes.

Adam drew breath, seeing them growing uncomfortable under his stern gaze and knowing that they needed to hear this clearly.

'Really, what Aunt Ez said had some truth in it,' he said soberly. 'We all of us disgraced ourselves with that display of wickedness and disgraced ma and pa too.'

Ben's head shot up, his eyes full of remorse but also shooting a look at the younger boys, who had drawn little gasps at the words. 'Now really it weren't all that bad, big brother,' he tried to say.

'We acted like plain animals,' Adam said sternly, brooking no argument. 'She was a guest in our house and we treated her badly, it was downright unchristian!'

'But you didn't do anything wrong, Adam,' Gideon whispered, shooting his brother a tear-filled look.

Adam's face softened only a little but he gave his head a shake as he reached forwards and patted the boy's strawberry-blonde curls. 'I might not have taken part in the pranking, Gid, but I didn't stop it either. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't have stopped the first little pranks. What did ma always say?'

'Little sins lead to big sins,' Gideon rattled off with ease. Their mother had been a good, god-fearing woman and she had raised her sons well. One would have had to, with seven of them to deal with! But they had disgraced her with their shameful behaviour and now, as they contemplated this, Adam's words hitting home to all of them, the first twangs of remorse began to show.

'Aw, Adam!' Frank finally burst. 'We didn't mean to be so wicked, it's just we couldn't stand that ol' bag!'

Adam nodded in understanding. 'I know, Frank. But I recon that if ma were around then she would have found some other way of getting Aunt Ez to leave. A much more _civilised_ way.'

They all winced at that, cheeks burning and eyes downcast.

Gideon sniffed back a sob, the twins, Ephraim and Daniel, taking a shoulder each to wrap their arms around. 'You gonna tan us, Adam?' he asked, the tears gathering on his lashes like morning dew on grass.

Frank snorted at the idea, folding his arms, the hands resting against the side of his chest in a defensive hug. 'Adam ain't gonna do no such thing, Gid,' he said with all the assurety of youth.

Caleb looked quietly into Adam's eyes. 'Are you, Adam?' he asked softly.

'He cain't tan you or Ben, you're too old!' Ephraim said, shocked at the idea.

'You saying that _we're_ not?' his twin asked in horror.

And then all their attention became fixed on their older brother and the farmhouse was still as they waited for his decision.


	2. Chapter 2

'I'm not going to tan Ben,' Adam agreed quietly after he had left the tension go on long enough.

Ben relaxed only a little but the others froze in the implication of that statement.

'By the sounds of it Ben did very little if any of the pranking,' Adam went on by explanation, 'but he is just as guilty as I am for not stopping it,' he continued, looking into his brother's eyes before the young man dropped his gaze with a blush.

'But that's not _fair_!' Frank exploded once more. 'You cain't spank us and not him, Adam. You can't spank us _at all_!'

Caleb grabbed hold of his younger brother and clamped a hand over his mouth before the boy could get himself into any further trouble. He kept his eyes on Adam with a sad look of understanding. He didn't like the idea of a whipping from his brother, only five years his senior, but he would take it now the decision had been made.

'Ben is still going to be punished, Frank,' Adam said sternly, his arms still folded over his chest like a wall against him and his words. 'So am I.'

'What do you mean, Adam?' Daniel asked hoarsely, still not quite believing that this was happening.

'Cause we'll both be spanking you,' Adam said, his jaw set grimly as he saw Ben flinch and look up from his inspection of the farmhouse floor, 'Ben will take Gideon...' he saw Ben turn a sickly shade at this news – _oh no!_ He could almost hear him thinking, _Not sweet young Gideon! It's too heartbreaking! _– '...while I deal with Frank.'

'What do you mean, "deal with" me!?' Frank exploded and if he did not know then the others did for his temper had been building into one of his violent explosions and now he erupted, tearing from Caleb's hold and rushing at Adam, hitting him with his tiny fists and hollering angry nonsense at the man who took it calmly and simply scooped him up, holding his wildly flailing arms and striding over to one of the low hunting chairs; the one his father had so recently used as his favourite. He quietly managed his struggling, bellowing brother into a spanking position; laying him over his left leg while the right clamped Frank's down between them. He held his brother close with the left arm and then with the right, began to shuck off the boy's bracers and then his pants.

'Nooooo!' Frank howled squirming as much as he was able and throwing his hands back to cover his suddenly exposed rear. But Adam simply swept the arms up and held the wrists in the boy's lower back and then sat there, ready and waiting.

The other brothers had watched this display with slack mouths, impressed by their older brother's ability to manage their younger's explosion of temper, each reminded forcefully in that moment at how alike Adam and their father had been. Ben caught Adam's eye and realised what the older man was waiting for, flushing scarlet and stepping forwards, gently easing Gideon from the twins' hold and then lifting him up into a hug. Gideon was already crying; the emotion of the room overwhelming the sensitive soul and breaking when his brother had been positioned in that vulnerable position that had been promised for him also.

Ben shushed him as he walked those few paces to the second chair; the one their mother had always sat to darn at next to the fire, and lay Gideon over his lap. The boy was completely compliant and he saw no need to lock the little one's legs, but that just made this all the worse for him and he knew that Adam had chosen a suitable punishment for him. As he drew down the boy's pants Gideon gave a little sob that almost broke his heart but he steeled himself, knowing that this would heal them all as well as bring them together – bridging the distance that had formed between them after their parent's passing. Yes, Adam had chosen a suitable punishment for them all.

Adam fixed Caleb, Daniel and Ephraim a stern but soft at the edges look before he began. 'You three stay where you are and watch,' he instructed, 'you're older and you knew better than your little brothers so you can see where you've led them.'

Caleb swallowed back the lump that rose in his throat and nodded stiffly but the twins had other ideas.

'Adam don't!' Ephraim said, his eyes pleading.

'You're right, it was our fault,' Daniel said. 'Don't spank Frank and Gid, they don't deserve it.'

Ben was looking at Adam, taking his cue from his older brother, his eyes were sad but he knew that there was no backing out of this, all the twins were doing was prolonging the embarrassment of their younger siblings, something which Adam drew their attention to.

'I think your brothers would just rather we got this over with, right, Ben?'

Ben took a thick swallow and then nodded wordlessly. His right hand smoothed Gideon's locks and ran circles on his back, calming the boy who trembled and sniffled quite dramatically. All the while through this Frank had not stopped his squirming but Adam had been doing the same; petting, reassuring, comforting his younger brother who showed his grief in a raw and passionate way.

With a brief nod Adam raised his hand, watching Ben do likewise and then letting it fall. Frank grunted; instantly rigid against him as he felt that spank and gasped heavily as several more followed it, swift and intense with a burning sting. He stopped thrashing about almost instantly, instead just laying there in shock as the reality of what was happening to him sank in. Then he began to bellow, dropping his head and crying out with each painful swat, his entire rear lit up by his brother's careful attention. He let out little gasps between each blow, hands clasping and unclasping into balls where Adam still held them against his back. He didn't know when the tears had started to fall but something must have changed in him because Adam's spanks were getting slower, the length at which the hand lingered on his bottom increasing and the swing taking longer, more like a clap than a swat against his backside that was red raw with his brother's attention.

'Feel like talkin'?' he heard Adam say and suddenly he found his words, busting out between his sobs.

'Noooo!' he screeched. 'Stop!.. Aaadaaam... S-stop... hurts... it h-h-hurts!'

Above him he heard a sigh and then felt himself tip, with a horrible lurch he realised that Adam had tilted him and then an explosion of pain landed upon his tender undercurves.

'Want to try that again, little brother?' Adam asked, his voice gentle but firm.

'Ahhh! Nooooo!' Frank sobbed and gasped. 'SORRY!' he finally bellowed. 'I'm s-sorry!' he howled, trying to kick and twist away until all at once it was altogether too much and he collapsed over his big brother's knee, defeated. 'Sorry, Adam!' he said in a much more sincere if slightly petulant tone. 'I shouldn't... shouldnda dun it.'

Instantly his world was righted and Adam was back to placing firm but slow spanks to his round bottom once more.

'Done what, little brother?' Adam asked.

'Oh!' Frank gasped, _he wanted more?_ 'S-sorry for the pigs! So sorry, A-Adam!' he sobbed, pressing his head down against Adam's leg and bawling. He realised that Adam had stopped spanking him and that his arms were free and he moaned in relief and grabbed hold of the older brother's leg, hugging it and wiping his face upon the britches, totally spent.

Adam gave a deep chuckle and placed a hand on Frank's red curls affectionately. 'So the pigs was your plan, was it, little brat?' he murmured, knowing that Frank was probably too wrapped up in his own miserable soreness that he would not hear. He sat like that for a while, patting and coaxing and praising until the boy was calmer and then lifted him up, setting him gently on the bow of his legs and embracing him tightly. He looked across at Ben and saw that Gideon was already enjoying this brotherly comfort. Any concern he may have had in Ben's ability to handle their youngest were dispelled now.

Gideon knelt, arms wrapped in a stranglehold around Ben's neck, kneeling upon that man's thighs, his exposed bottom a firey red that outdid his hair completely. Gideon was in that little place now where most of the tears had been shed and now there was only a lingering, hiccupping need to be close to the one who had met out the punishment. He had lasted barely seconds into the start of his punishment before setting into his bawling, kicking and squirming and wailing. Adam had checked once or twice during the proceedings that Ben was not being too harsh with their youngest but Ben's spanks had been calm and measured, definitely not how the Pontipee's second oldest must be feeling inside! Gideon had always been a noisy spankee and so his wails were not as effective as they could have been and Ben continued, meting out a punishment approximately similar in length to Franks but not quite as intense, owing to the boy's submissive reaction to the whole thing.

Ben was also glassy-eyed and his cheeks above his whiskers were damp looking, he saw Adam looking and gave his brother a sad but encouraging nod. Adam returned it, letting the two youngest enjoy this moment for a while longer before easing them off onto the long settee that lay to their side, the back of which Caleb, Ephraim and Daniel clutched as they watched with sad and slightly scared eyes. Once placed upon the settee Ben and Adam watched as Gideon inched ever closer to Frank until they were touching and then hugging and nestled down into the throws and pillows, worn out from all the expended effort.

Adam watched for a moment longer and then turned his stern gaze upon the remaining three, making his decision. Ephraim's eyes were misty with tears of empathy for his little brother's but Daniel's jaw was set firmly, his hands that gripped the settee white with suppressed anger, though he kept his gaze from his older brothers as he quietly fumed.

'Ben, take Ephraim,' Adam decided. 'Daniel, you're with me.'


	3. Chapter 3

'NO.'

The brothers froze, turning to stare at Daniel who had spoken, the younger sibling's mouths opening in shock. Frank even forgot his own misery, turning around to kneel upon the settee and placing his hands upon the back, his eyes wide as he waited for Adam's reaction.

Adam slowly folded his arms, looked down at the middle child with a stern frown furrowing his brow. 'Excuse me?' he asked, sounding altogether too much like their father.

Ephraim flinched but Daniel was either too angry or too stubborn willed to let his disquiet show. He stood back a pace, clenching his hands into fists, straight down at his side, shaking with rage. 'I said, NO!' he snapped. 'Y'all ain't going to whup me!'

'I'm not changing my mind, Daniel,' Adam said but he made no move toward the boy, letting him vent some of his rage. It was natural for a lad to feel some fear when faced with a spanking, lord knew that he had felt the same chill sinking in his guts the many times that Mr Pontipee had given him a foreboding look, sat upon the armchair and crooked his finger at his eldest son. Why he'd even be concerned if Daniel hadn't have kicked up a fuss; a compliant Daniel meant that something was dreadfully wrong and since their parents' deaths Daniel had not been himself.

'You just try!' he was saying now. 'Y'all just try and whup me. I ain't little like Frank. Ya'll can't just pin me and force me to do what you want!'

'Dan-' Ephraim started, putting a hand on his twin's shoulder but it was shaken off.

'Don't you think it's unfair?' Daniel asked him, practically growling as he gestured to their older brother. 'All we did were some silly old pranks. He thinks he's the boss, just cause pa-' but there he stopped, his throat tightening and the last word rising as his voice broke. He gave Adam a stricken look, chin held high and bottom lip caught between his teeth, his eyes filling with tears.

Adam moved then, but he didn't snatch his brother or drag him to the chair, he simply took him up in his bear-like embrace, ignoring the boy's struggles and his flailing punches until finally Daniel hitched a sob, his fists uncurling against his brother's shirt and the fingers snatching hold of the fabric.

'I ain't pa,' Adam said quietly, raising one hand to rest upon the boy's thick curls and kissing them softly, 'but I gotta do some things that he did... now he's gone. I don't like it, Daniel, not one bit, but we gotta make them proud, right?'

Daniel was too overcome to reply but he nodded furiously, sniffling into Adam's chest and twisting his shirt.

In his peripheral, Adam saw Ben and Caleb move, Ben to console Ephraim, who wept silent tears, whilst Caleb took a seat between Frank and Gideon, who were sniffling and sobbing once more.

Once he was sure the boy was worn out from his tears, Adam turned and led Daniel toward the armchair, quirking a swift smile when his brother regained enough composure to drag his feet and grumble at the unfair treatment.

'I think the unfair treatment would be not spanking you, now that Gid and Frank have had their share, don't you?' Adam asked as he sat.

Clearly not liking to say yes or admit that this was what he deserved, Daniel settled for a sulky twist of his mouth instead, but he did not resist overmuch when he was pulled over his older brother's lap.

Adam settled the boy in place, putting a firm arm over the boy before moving to the bracers. Daniel squirmed, earning himself a swat that made him cringe and go still, allowing Adam to shuck down his pants without further complaint.

'Hold still.' Adam looked over and saw that Ben was having difficulty. Ephraim, although seeming willing to submit to his brother's attention, had started to squirm the moment he had been pulled over Ben's lap to the point that he was in real danger of falling off it. Ben tried to hold on, using both his hands to try and keep his younger brother in place. Ephraim wasn't responding to his commands to stay still and, when Ben had given him a warning swat, began to kick violently.

'Adam,' Daniel said, propping himself up on one arm and looking up at his brother with a pleading eye.

'I know, Daniel,' Adam said with a smile, resting his hand upon the boy's back and then looking over to the Pontipee's second brother. 'Ben, you need to pin him.'

Daniel nodded as Ben looked over in surprise, still holding his twin down as the boy squirmed. 'He's right, brother. Ephraim's allus been the same. Pin him, he'll feel better.'

Wetting his lips, Ben shifted, lifting his right leg and trapping his charge's own down. He caught the boy's flailing arms and pulled them to his lower back, holding firmly.

As if a magic spell had been cast, Ephraim stilled, huffing a few worn out breaths. Then he turned his head, resting his cheek upon the arm of the chair and looked up with a rueful smile. 'Thanks, brother.'

Ben gave a mighty chuckle. 'Don't thank me so quick, little brother,' he said and then pulled down the boy's pants.

Daniel gasped as Adam did the same, burying his face in the crook of his arm.

Adam let the first swat fall and grimaced as he heard his brother yelp. That first spank was always the worst he thought, a nasty reminder of how much worse things were about to get. Knowing Daniel was already worn from his earlier tantrum, Adam kept his spanks regular, without the stinging attention-getting swats that he usually went for. Daniel was crying enough already and he didn't want to exhaust the boy before the discipline was done.

Ben on the other hand had started off with some memorable blows, setting Ephraim off howling after only the third swat. Everyone knew he was a noisy spankee; the playful twins had been regulars over their father's knees when Mr Pontipee had been alive.

Daniel in turn set about matching his brother in length and pitch, kicking and jerking as Adam's swats covered every inch of his backside.

When they had been going for some time and Daniel's bottom a fair rosy shade, Adam began to talk.

'You're doin' well, Daniel,' he said, listening to the boy's wails change pitch at the kindness. 'Think you got something to say?'

'S-sorry, b-b-brother,' Daniel hiccupped.

'Sorry for what?' Adam asked patiently.

But Daniel clammed up, hiding his face in the palms of his hands and sniffling.

'Daniel,' Adam warned keeping his spanks coming. 'You know it's not over until you tell me what you did wrong. I can do this all day if I need to.'

'Ephraim?' Ben asked. Ephraim's face was pressed into the arm of the chair, without the freedom of his hands to hide him. His face was flushed and puffy, his hair stuck to his face from tears. 'Sorry,' he sobbed, 'S-s-sorry!'

'Sorry for what, little one?'

Ephraim bit down on his lip and turned his head aside, staying quiet.

'Ah-ah, no biting,' Ben clucked his tongue, raising his knee and tipping the boy so that his undercurves were more exposed.

Ephraim quickly turned back. 'NO!' he squalled, writhing frantically as Ben blistered six quick swats on the sensitive area. 'AHH! Beeeeen! I won't! No bitiiiiiing!'

'Enough of that tone, boy,' Ben said sternly. 'Now What. Did. You. Do?' he asked, punctuating each word with a scorching blow.

'Ahhh, the hat! The haaat! Sorry! Soooorry!' Ephraim sobbed, letting out a whimper of relief when the man returned to spanking his bottom.

Adam had almost forgotten to keep up his own assault on Daniel's backside, marvelling that Ben had become so expert at handling a spanking in so short a time. But at this confession he shared a grin with Benjamin and focused back to his own charge. 'See, Daniel? That weren't so hard. But are you really telling us that putting Aunt E's hat on old Gloria was all you did?'

By Daniel's silence and Ephraim's hitched gasp, Adam could tell that it wasn't. He kept spanking for a second, letting the boy decide his own fate and then tilted his leg.

'NOO!' Daniel shrieked, throwing his hand back to cover his sit-spots where it was caught and pinned against his back. 'I'll tell! I'll tell!'

'Too late, little boy,' Adam said, landing six stinging spanks over the area, holding tightly as Daniel bellowed and kicked his legs. When that was done he stopped, his hand raised in the air, ready to strike. 'I believe you were saying?'

Daniel turned his wet, blotched face to look over at Ephraim, his brows raised in mute apology. Ephraim looked back, tears running down his face and sniffling, but he closed his eyes and gave his twin a resigned nod.

'We...' Daniel began and then dried up again, scrunching his face up in dismay. 'OW! We put tar on her wagon!' he rushed when Adam laid down an encouraging swat.

'You... What?' Adam said, processing the confession with mild horror.

'We painted her seat with taaar,' Daniel sobbed, 'and her footwell. She won't notice till she gets to town.'

Adam pressed his lips tightly shut, avoiding Ben's eyes as he heard his second brother coughing back a laugh. On the settee Gideon had given a shocked gasp whilst Caleb had his hand firmly clamped over Frank's mouth, the second youngest shaking with gleeful laughter.

But the most surprising thing was what they had _not_ confessed to. Adam looked straight at Caleb as he addressed this.

'So, you're saying that you didn't have anything to do with this morning's prank in ma and pa's old room? Neither of you?'

Daniel shook his head violently, no, whilst Ephraim did likewise.

'We promise, Adam,' he said.

Adam raised his brow at Caleb who looked suitably shamefaced and ducked his head into Gideon's curls to avoid any more scrutiny. Adam decided to leave it be for now.

'So, you painted Aunt E's wagon in tar,' he said sternly, resuming his spanking on Daniel's bottom. The break in swats must have been nice but would have felt just awful to return to. Daniel let him know it, squalling and kicking his legs desperate for release. 'That was a terrible naughty thing to do now, wasn't it?'

'Uh huh,' Daniel moaned, clutching at the arm of the chair and nodding into his arms.

'Aunt E will have to throw away her dress I'd imagine, her boots too maybe.'

Not having thought of this, Daniel sucked in a gasp, his eyes wide. 'Sorry! So s-sorryyy!'

'I want you both to think real hard about how you can make it up to her, okay?'

'Yessss!' Daniel hissed, falling back over Adam's leg and giving in completely to his brother's hand.

'And what do we say when we've done wrong?'

'Sorry!' the boy cried.

Adam stopped spanking and rubbed gentle circles into his brother's back, whispering encouraging words to him as he had Frank. And as with Frank, when the boy had calmed, he pulled Daniel's breeches carefully up over his tender backside and lifted him to sit upon his knee.

'You did real well, brother,' he said, accepting the boy's tight hug. 'I'm real proud of you.'

'Ya didn't have ta spank so hard,' Daniel grumbled through his tears, his head buried in the nape of his brother's neck.

'Oh?' Adam exchanged a jolly smile with Ben, who now held Ephraim in a similar position. 'Looks like I shoulda spanked harder, I missed a spot of sass!'

'Nooo! Daniel said, wriggling in his brother's lap and sniffling petulantly. 'You didn't, no sass, honest!'

Adam let forth another deep chuckle and squeezed his younger sibling tightly to him. 'I'm sure I can believe you,' he said with feigned sincerity.

After a few more minutes like this Adam rose, crossing to the settee and putting his charge down carefully on the seat next to Frank. Ben did the same, placing a quietly sniffling Ephraim down next to Gideon, who had miraculously fallen asleep amongst the din, his head cradled in Caleb's, mouth open a little in deep sleep

Adam watched the five youngest Pontipees with a fond smile and then shifted his gaze onto Caleb.

The third son gave a muted sigh, gently shifting the sleeping youngest brother onto Ephraim's arm and then stood, fixing his brother with a bold eye.

'I'm ready, brother,' he said calmly.


	4. Chapter 4

_The last installment and the last brother to get his comeuppance! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews!_

* * *

Adam nodded at the bold statement, giving Caleb an encouraging smile before heading back to their father's chair. Caleb came too, reluctantly but with his chin held high. Ben took a seat next to Daniel, ruffling the boy's hair and sharing a quick grin with him as they waited for Adam to deal with the last of the offenders.

Caleb's hands went to his pants, pulling them down before Adam had a chance to and then settling himself over his brother's lap. Surprised though he was by this submissive behaviour, Adam didn't stop to count his blessings – a fight from Caleb would have been a tough battle after Daniel and Frank.

Caleb wore long johns under his pants and so Adam unbuttoned the flap, baring his brother's backside. Caleb sucked in his breath at that, flushing bright red and ducking his head against the chair arm away from the stares of his younger siblings. But he hardly reacted at all when the first swat fell, or the next.

As Adam spanked, Caleb closed his eyes tight shut, pressing his lips together and wrapping his arms tight around the arm of the chair. The five brothers on the couch winced at the noise; with no cries or protests to drown it out the sound of Adam's hard hand on Caleb's bare flesh was painful to hear.

Despite growing tired, Adam spanked Caleb just as hard as he had Frank and Daniel, only changing the amount of time that his brother was over his knee. Caleb's bottom was becoming a bright rosy hue by this point and still the boy had made no sound. Adam frowned in concern, looking over and seeing that the boy was sweating with the effort of staying silent, his eyes still tight shut. He jerked forwards at each swat, teeth clenched and breath hissing through them, occasionally wiping his brow on his arm which still gripped the chair so hard his knuckles were white.

Adam looked over to the five on the couch, seeing their wide, worried eyes. Gideon was awake now, his face pale as he watched, hand knotting into the sleeve of Ephraim's shirt. All of a sudden Adam realised what the problem was and snorted a frustrated breath through his nostrils. His eyes met with Ben's and he indicated with a nod toward the kitchen.

Though not as fast on the uptake as his older brother, Ben realised what Adam was trying to say. He turned to Frank, who was staring at Caleb open-mouthed in a mixture of horror and respect.

'Hey Frank, ya hungry?' Ben asked, making the whole lot of them jump at the noise.

Frank looked up, glassy-eyed. 'Uhh... yeah, brother.'

'Well I recon it's time we got started on breakfast,' Ben said, rising from the seat. 'Ephraim, Daniel? Y'all are the best at making pancakes, come on.'

'But we- ow!' Daniel began to say, indicating towards Caleb but then cut short by a clout from his twin, who made ferocious faces at him as he dragged him away.

'C'mon, lil buddy,' Ben said, picking Gideon up into his arms. 'You and me can set the stove.'

When they had gone Adam leant down over his brother. During the conversation he had not stopped with his spanks but they had been less frequent, allowing Caleb to hear what was happening, even if he still did not open his eyes.

'There see,' he murmured gently. 'It's just you and me now, baby brother.'

Caleb made a small strangled noise, the first since the spanking had begun, and lifted his head to the side, glassy eyes angry.

'Don't... call... me...' he stammered but gasped as Adam laid a particularly scalding swat to his already roasting backside.

'But you are my baby brother,' Adam said in his same reasonable and gentle tone. 'And there ain't no one here but you and me now. No younger brothers to act brave fer, no one here but yer big brother Adam. An I seen you cry plenty of times, boy.'

Caleb tensed and looked away, biting down deeply on his lower lip.

Adam could have laughed if he hadn't been so cross. He remembered back to when he had first been spanked in front of Ben. He couldn't remember what their crime had been, back when he was oh, fourteen? Fifteen? – all he remembered was how very important it had been to stay strong in front of his younger brother, who looked on him like a hero and was very scared of what was going to happen to them. Adam had lasted through 'most the whole session, until Mr Pontipee had cottoned on that was happening. Then their father had done something a little like this...

Caleb reared up, eyes flying wide open, gasping out a silent howl of pain. He pushed with all his might against the chair and kicked his legs straight out, writhing and wriggling to try and free himself from the burning swats that Adam was now laying into the crease between his backside and thighs, some swats even travelling down the thighs but most reaching that most sensitive spot. Adam simply tucked the boy in tighter, catching Caleb's hand as he threw it back.

'Ugh! Ugh! Aaaah!' Caleb gasped. 'St-stop- stop! Adam!'

'Oh no, baby brother.' Adam chuckled. 'I ain't near stopping. You just earned yourself a nice long set over my knee, boy.'

Caleb kicked hard, almost succeeding in getting off his big brother's lap before Adam clucked his tongue in disapproval and hooked his brother's legs between his own, locking him down.

Finally seeing that it was useless, Caleb buried his face in the crook of his free arm and sobbed.

Immediately Adam returned his swats to the roundness of Caleb's bottom, not a nice feeling at all after being left alone even for a little time. The skin was hot to his touch now and getting to a dark pink colour but Adam knew it wouldn't be much longer. Now was the time to talk.

'Well, baby brother, think you have something to say to me?'

All that came from Caleb was the smothered sobbing from beneath his arm. Adam sighed, loud enough for the boy to hear and stopped spanking only briefly to take hold of Caleb's free wrist, pulling it back gently to join the other.

His head now exposed, eyes red from crying and nose running, Caleb hung his head, gasping for breath and hitching back more tears.

'There now,' Adam said, letting the boy hear the smile he wore. 'Don't that help me hear you? You're welcome. So...?' He punctuated the question with a swat and Caleb let go with his first cry.

'AH! S'ry!' Caleb gasped, tears running down his face, unable in his state to form the full word

'For wh-'

'Th' r'coon! ...'nd t' water... and... and bein' BAD!'

Caleb sobbed deeply then, hanging his head and drawing in tearful breaths.

'Yep, that were a real naughty thing to do. You could'a scared poor Aunt Ez to death,' Adam said, giving Caleb's bottom another sharp crack.

'Sorry!' Caleb shrieked, rearing up.

'I didn't expect _you_ to have gone so far... thought you knew better.'

'AHHH! SORRY!'

'Apology accepted, baby brother... Now fer my next question... Why?'

This seemed to unsettle Caleb, shocking him into stillness. 'Wh-wh- why?' he stammered eventually, looking back at Adam with red-raw and panic-filled eyes. It was obviously a question that he had not asked himself, or was too afraid to hear the answer of.

'That's right,' Adam said, slowing the speed of his spanks but still swatting enough to keep his brother's attention. 'Why'd you do such a naughty thing, baby brother?'

'I... I...' Caleb stammered and shook his head violently. 'I dunno! Dunno!' Another sharp crack and he wailed. 'I... didn't want... din' wan' her... wanted her ter go back... go away!'

'Why?' Adam asked, gentle but firm, following the question with two quick swats. 'She was just helping us, baby brother.'

'Didn' wan' her... help.' Caleb huffed, his eyes tight shut. 'Didn' wan' _her_!'

'Who _did_ you want, Caleb?' Adam asked, swallowing down the lump that rose in his throat, his eyes misted with tears, knowing the answer.

At the sound of his own name a deep, heart wrenching sob broke through Caleb's last defences. He collapsed forwards, all resistance leaving him.

'_Ma_!' he bawled. 'I want _ma_! ...and _pa_! I want... I want...' He gasped, fully giving in now to his tears and weeping.

Adam stopped at once, pulling his brother around to sit upon his left knee and hugging him tightly, one hand buried in Caleb's hair, the other clutched about his waist, stroking and patting his back as his younger brother let out those weeks of misery that he'd bottled up behind a wall of teenage defiance. And Adam wept too, for the first time since the funeral, gripping Caleb tightly and letting the horror of the loss flow out of him, abandoning it, letting it go.

He felt someone press themselves against his chest and opened his eyes to see Frank on his right knee, sniffling and burrowing his face into his shirt front. Ben slid in upon the arm of the chair, shiny eyed, hugging a sobbing Gideon close with one arm whilst the other wound itself across his elder brother's shoulders. Daniel and Ephraim crushed themselves either side of Caleb, hugging tightly and crying hard.

Adam disentangled his right arm from the crush and mussed Frank's hair, pulling the boy closer and kissing his curls.

'I miss them too, brother,' he whispered as their tears grew louder.

For a very long time they stayed that way, comforting and being comforted, their tears gradually becoming less until all eyes were dry and a cosy peace descended on them. No one wanted to break away first, sharing that quiet moment never felt before or since. Then Ephraim jumped up.

'Holy Hannah! The pancakes!' he yelled, scurrying away to the kitchen, twin in tow.

Adam burst into a guffawing laugh, which the remaining Pontipee brothers joined in with uproariously. Slowly they broke apart, Ben, still chuckling, shepherding the younger siblings back into the kitchen whilst Caleb fixed his clothes. Adam waited too, arms crossed about his broad chest, smiling at the ceiling.

Caleb blushed furiously as he fetched his britches, realising for the first time that he had kicked them free during his fight. He avoided Adam's gaze as he threaded his feet into the legs and began to pull them up, but couldn't help the gasp when the fabric reached his upper thighs. Then he shot the man a dark look.

'Daniel's right, you do spank too hard!'

Adam chuckled deeply, slapping his brother on the back and messing his hair as he gave him a sideways hug. 'Aw, baby brother, you deserved it, holdin' out on me like that! I ain't met nobody who could take a lickin' quietly... you try and act like a grown-up for your brothers all you'll end up with is an even sorer backside.' With that Adam reached down and yanked up Caleb's britches, making the boy yelp and squeal. 'That's a promise.' He said, clapping him on the back again and fixing him with a glittering eye, his teeth bared in a grin.

'Sure, big brother,' Caleb said with a pout that lifted almost imperceptibly at the corner, rubbing at the offended area as the pair made their way towards the kitchen and sounds of a decidedly messy breakfast.


End file.
